Buying Advice L3240

Cougar8008 · Aug 10, 2011

Hello all. I'm new to TBN but have been reading a lot of treads. Couple of month's back I started looking in to buying a tractor. I did the JD and Kubota dealer rounds and talked to ALOT of people. I had finally come down to a Kubota L3240 or L3540. I wasn't sure. Last Sat I took a ride to my dealer and he had a L3240 in for service I could test drive. After driving the machine and the salesman telling me the 32 was find for me, I didn't need the 35. We went inside, sat down and did the paperwork. He told me it would take 2 weeks to get my New 3240 in and set it up with the FEL and all. Come Monday morning I hear from the dealer saying he has Great News we had a L3240 at another location with the loader already on it. They ordered it in as a display for an event. I asked the delivery date of the tractor and its 5 months old. I asked "How many hours are on it?" I get answered "I'll tell you tomorrow morning when it gets here." The next moning i hear .6 tenths of an hour are on it. He also told me the tractor was in the crate up until 3 weeks ago so it's brand new. I understand this is a new machine but I'm feeling like a bait and switch is happening here. I also wonder if he talked me to the 32 because he had one already. Can anyone tell me is this normal practice for dealers to do? I was told the tractor would be ordered and was using those 2 weeks to prepare the garage for its arrival. Then I could be ready to pick it up and not let it sit outside. Now my new tractor has been sitting outside in the sun and rain for almost a month. Please let me know your opinion on this? I'm almost ready to call the dealer and get my deposit back.

Thx Ed

kuboman · Aug 10, 2011

Cougar8008 said:
Hello all. I'm new to TBN but have been reading a lot of treads. Couple of month's back I started looking in to buying a tractor. I did the JD and Kubota dealer rounds and talked to ALOT of people. I had finally come down to a Kubota L3240 or L3540. I wasn't sure. Last Sat I took a ride to my dealer and he had a L3240 in for service I could test drive. After driving the machine and the salesman telling me the 32 was find for me, I didn't need the 35. We went inside, sat down and did the paperwork. He told me it would take 2 weeks to get my New 3240 in and set it up with the FEL and all. Come Monday morning I hear from the dealer saying he has Great News we had a L3240 at another location with the loader already on it. They ordered it in as a display for an event. I asked the delivery date of the tractor and its 5 months old. I asked "How many hours are on it?" I get answered "I'll tell you tomorrow morning when it gets here." The next moning i hear .6 tenths of an hour are on it. He also told me the tractor was in the crate up until 3 weeks ago so it's brand new. I understand this is a new machine but I'm feeling like a bait and switch is happening here. I also wonder if he talked me to the 32 because he had one already. Can anyone tell me is this normal practice for dealers to do? I was told the tractor would be ordered and was using those 2 weeks to prepare the garage for its arrival. Then I could be ready to pick it up and not let it sit outside. Now my new tractor has been sitting outside in the sun and rain for almost a month. Please let me know your opinion on this? I'm almost ready to call the dealer and get my deposit back. Thx Ed

Sounds normal to me. Yes you were talked into the 32 because they had one available that they wanted to sell. I am guessing you got a better deal. As for sitting outside for a month all I can say from my experience is 'IS THAT ALL' only a month.

arsenix2001 · Aug 10, 2011

1. Every tractor sits outside. Dealers do not garage units, even the shipping crates are open. Worrying about your tractor sitting outside for a month is like worrying about driving your car in the rain. Its normal, happens all the time and is nothing to worry about. Although im confused, is it sitting outside at the dealers lot? The only issue there is that i would pressure them to get the darn thing done.

2. It is VERY common practice for a dealer to locate a unit in thier inventory or even another dealers stock and dx one to get it to you faster. They never want to order inventory if its already built. My dealer did this for me all the time. You would be looking at a LENGTHY wait for an ordered unit.

3. I was in your shoes about the 32/3540 decision. Spoke to three different dealers and all three reccomended the 32 over the 35. I only went with the 35 because i was getting a cab and the extra few hp was nice for the parasitic draw of the ac system. Unless you are running pto hp hungry equipment, it will run out of traction before hp.

4. In my book, anything under 5 hrs is brand spanking new. Im estatic to see a sub 1 hr machine. So I wouldnt worry about it at all.

Relax and enjoy your new toy when it arrives.

hawkeye08 · Aug 11, 2011

Sounds like a good deal for both of you.

PoorPlowboy · Aug 11, 2011

The tractor isn't allergic to a little rain and sunshine. Matter of fact, if you aren't giving it any yourself, you aren't exercising it enough.

Monster5601 · Aug 11, 2011

Dealers often work together to get product to their customers. Kubota doesn't send out a truck to the dealers until so many pounds of product are ordered (15K I think my dealer told me). It is common for the dealers to move product between them and to make orders together to get product from Kubota.

If you are really set back because your new tractor (may have) got wet, may be you should re-think your purchase. It is a tractor, it will get wet, muddy, dusty, dented, and have the sun shine on it.

Enjoy your new tractor, don't forget to post pictures.

Baby Grand · Aug 11, 2011

My dealer did a deal with a nearby dealer to get my tractor. This saved me several weeks of waiting. Sounds like your dealer is doing you the same service. The business is different from car sales, which was all the experience I had to compare to. You'll be very happy with the results, I predict. That's a nice machine and as Arsenix says you'll run out of traction before you run out of power in most cases.

Enjoy your new ride!

k0ua · Aug 11, 2011

My new tractor sat out on the lot for over 6 months. I have seen some new tractors 2 years old. The hitch balls, and suspension seat were rusted, this is pretty common for tractors to sit out on dealer lots for some time..I would say you got lucky to get one so quickly and .6 hours is really low. enjoy your new tractor, it is a good one.

James K0UA

Mpking · Aug 11, 2011

Baby Grand said:
My dealer did a deal with a nearby dealer to get my tractor. This saved me several weeks of waiting. Sounds like your dealer is doing you the same service. The business is different from car sales, which was all the experience I had to compare to. You'll be very happy with the results, I predict. That's a nice machine and as Arsenix says you'll run out of traction before you run out of power in most cases.

Enjoy your new ride!

Same here. At first he said that it would be a week or two but then he called me while I was driving home 20 minutes later and said it would be there for me to look at the next day.

Your dealer is probably just trying to keep you happy with quick service. If you really do want the 3540, don't worry about all the advice to go with with the 3240, just change your mind and tell him to get you a 3540. The only real difference between the two is the engine and HP. Over the life of the machine the price isn't really that much more either. You might have to wait for it a bit longer but hopefully you'll have the tractor a long time so the wait will be worth it and you want to be 100% happy with what you get.

TripleR · Aug 11, 2011

As per everyone else, normal to actually a bit better than normal.

I agree with Mpking, if you really want a 3540, get it; would be my choice between the two.